A skilled, diverse ensemble cast narrates Wilson's immersive, hard-hitting tales of technology, humanity, and their many inevitable intersections. From robots and teleporters to cataclysmic events, Wilson's pieces share common themes, but each is unique in its scope and style, and the choice of a separate narrator for each segment helps ground listeners in the specific reality of each story. Fourteen narrators use slightly different pacing and approaches, yet all move fluidly through Wilson's concepts, making even the most advanced and futuristic ideas accessible and intriguing. In-depth characterizations bring out the humanity in each of these flawed, determined protagonists who are attempting in their own ways to make sense of rapidly changing worlds.
Pub Date: March 6, 2018
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525589969
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Multiple award winner Card is one of the greatest practitioners of science fiction; here he delivers a history fantasy of the Wabash Valley circa 1800, a world of hexes and folk magic. This is the first book about Alvin Maker, the seventh son of a seventh son, who has remarkable psychic powers. Card is a very good narrator, expressive and well paced. One can hear the excitement of an author as he brings his own well described characters to life. There is one momentary technical glitch, the only slip up in an exemplary presentation. Highly recommended for fiction collections everywhere.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: The Literate Ear
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Asimov's sweeping tale of the disintegration and fall of the Galactic Empire has never been more relevant or poignant. In the third book of the original trilogy, Dan Lazar handles the material adequately. He uses his limited range of voices nicely, if sometimes amusingly--he sometimes sounds like a foreigner attempting to mimic American accents. Varying pitch and pacing make for a lively narration, and his reading of a precocious young woman, who is ultimately an important figure, is delightful. Technical and editorial problems plague the title. Hearing Lazar repeatedly mispronounce a word that the text itself explains how to pronounce is very frustrating. Intermittent fade-outs on one channel; inconsistencies when switching sides; and low, rumbling background noise mar the sound quality.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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